


The Half-Solved Case of Mark Brando

by combeferre_writer01



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, M/M, but could be if you squint, not really gay, true crime episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21517795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/combeferre_writer01/pseuds/combeferre_writer01
Summary: In an episode of Buzzfeed: Unsolved, Shane's a little off when Ryan names of the victim. What might Shane be hiding?
Relationships: Ryan Bergara & Shane Madej, Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Comments: 3
Kudos: 150





	The Half-Solved Case of Mark Brando

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My friend Andrew who gave me this prompt when I was bored in our theatre class](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+friend+Andrew+who+gave+me+this+prompt+when+I+was+bored+in+our+theatre+class).



“Got a good one for us?” Shane asked, sitting down in his usual chair on the set. He already knew the answer, but couldn’t stop himself from asking to see Ryan’s eyes light up in excitement.

“Oh yeah. This one sent me for a loop.” 

“Ready, guys?” the cameraman asked. 

“Yep.” Ryan grinned. “This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we’ll be taking a look at the Mysterious, Half-Solved Case of Mark Brando.”

Shane felt his face drained of all colour and prayed to whatever was listening it didn’t show on the camera. 

“This case is more recent than usual,” Ryan introduced.

“So no gangsters walking down streets with machine guns in violin cases?” 

Ryan chuckled. “No. This one is practically in our backyard.”

 _Or our living room._ Shane thought.

“That said, let’s get into it.” Ryan opened his folder and got to reading about the case. “In December of 2014, a 17-year-old girl named Casy Gaiman was raped by a 28-year-old girl Mark Brando.”

“Wait,” Shane interjected, “that’s the guy in the-”

“Yeah. I told you before it throws you for a loop.” 

“Okay.”

“Brando was the son of the Chief of Police, so when Gaiman tried reporting what happened, the cops brushed it under the rug and said she was looking for attention despite the doctor proving what happened.”

Shane forced out what he hoped sounded like his usual laugh. “How can they ignore something like that?”

“The guy’s son-”

“So? You can’t ignore that. This terrified 17-year-old girl goes to the cops and they just ‘your parents sign a note to get you out of gym?’ and send her on her way?” Shane tried keeping the anger boiling in his chest from overflowing into his words.

Ryan laughed at his friend’s wording. “It’s shitty, I know. Just wait.”

Shane nodded for Ryan to go on.“Three days after Brando had raped Gaiman, he was found dead in his apartment, on the floor with a rope around his neck and a pull-up bar by his head.

Shane clapped his hands. “There we go, care closed. Rapist bastard’s dead.”

“Sort of closed,” Ryan corrected. “There’s more to how he was found and it’s where the case opens up. The case is still open, actually.”

“Oh snap.”

“Not only was Brando strangulated, but one eye--his left eye--was severely bruised; his nose, left cheekbone, and part of his jaw was broken.”

“Oh. So it wasn’t suicide.”

“No. Well, not unless he beat the shit out of himself.”

“Guilt.”

Ryan wheezed before laughing. “Why wouldn’t he have just turned himself in?”

“I don’t know.” Shane shrugged. “He was crazy enough to rape a kid.”

“Okay, that’s a fair point.” The two paused. “Now we get to move onto the theories.”

“The fun part.” Shane grinned at the camera, though it didn’t meet his eyes.“The fun part,” Ryan confirmed. “Okay. The first theory is that it was actually suicide.”

Shane scratched the side of his nose. “Wait a second. He was all bruised up.” 

“Yeah. That’s the first big flaw with his one. There was no DNA but his own found on his body or in the flat even though there were definite signs of struggle.” 

Shane chortled. “This guy’s face was all messed up but there was no sign of someone having done it?”

“Pretty much. Some people think he got in a fight to cover up a suicide.”

“Okay. So he gets in a fight, gets destroyed by Rocky, and then hangs himself?”

“Mhm.”

“You know, there’s an episode of Mr. Robot where Tyrell Wellick pays a guy in a dark parking deck to let him beat the guy while wearing those...light blue doctor-”

“Latex.”

“-latex gloves.”

“So you think the murderer-” Ryan caught how Shane barely flinched at ‘murderer’- “got his inspiration from an episode of Mr. Robot?”

“Well- The general idea, I mean. You said this was 2013-”

“2014.”

“-2014. The first season aired in 2015.”

Ryan just shook his head with a small smile. “The second theory is that he beat himself. However, with the severity of the wounds and bruises, his fingers and hands would’ve been cut or bruised.” 

Shane flexed his hands under the table but didn’t say anything. Ryan glanced at the older man, knowing something was absolutely wrong. “And the last theory- my personal favourite- is that Brando was beaten up and hanged by a poltergeist.” Ryan looked to Shane again as he finished the last sentence. 

The theory drew a real laugh from Shane, a grin finally appearing on his face. “Wha- I-” he was laughing too hard to properly speak.

Shane’s reaction made Ryan smile, his eyes as gentle as ever. The taller man waved for Ryan to wrap up the episode because he couldn’t stop laughing.

“The case is open and it’s not likely it’ll be closed any time soon because they have zero leads. They never had any leads--not even a description or idea of someone entering or leaving Brando’s house the night of his death. And that is why this case remains...unsolved.” 

The exit clip before the episode links was Shane’s laughter finally starting to slow down.

* * *

Getting ready to go, Shane slipped on his jacket as Ryan approached. 

“You doin’ okay, man? You seemed a little off all day.”

“Do you wanna come over for a bit?” Shane wanted to tell Ryan what was on his mind but not somewhere with surveillance cameras like the office. 

“Yeah, sure.” Ryan didn’t sense anything being off with the offer. They spent a lot of time together after work. Ryan wouldn’t pause for a second in saying Shane was his best friend if someone asked him. 

The two hopped in a cab and Shane gave his address. When it stopped, he the driver. Shane unlocked the door to his apartment and motioned Ryan inside.

“Do you really wanna know why I was quiet today?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” Ryan jested. 

Shane tossed one of the seeming countless bags of popcorn in the microwave. He turned to Ryan, crossing his arms over his chest. “I can solve this week’s case for you.”

Ryan chucked. “What’s your theory?” 

“It’s not a theory.” Shane didn’t meet Ryan’s eyes. “I did it.”

Ryan burst out laughing but Shane’s lack of smile or chuckle quickly stopped him. “Fuck. You’re serious,” he whispered. 

“Yeah. Casy’s older brother Matt was a friend of mine; he’s a couple of years older than me and took me under his wing in college. He told me about what Mark did and what the cops weren’t doing. I’d known Mark since middle school so I knew where he lived.”

Ryan took a step back, his eyes wide and face pale. Shane felt his heart cracking. 

“There’s-there’s no proof.” Ryan shook his head so fast and hard Shane thought the shorter man might tip over. 

“His address was 319 Redbarrow Avenue, light blue house with yellow trim. Time of death was about 2:30 in the morning. Blue eyes, blond hair, pale-skinned,” Shane fired off. 

“How did you…”

“Ski mask so no-one would know who entered or left, latex gloves, a surgical mask when I took off the ski mask. I burned all the clothes when I left. I got him on the brink of passing out and strung him up to finish it.” 

Ryan looked like he was going to pass out. He jumped when the microwave beeped. 

“Little Buddy?” Shane’s voice cracked, worried that he shouldn’t have said anything at all.

“You killed…”

“Yeah. I killed a man. The cops weren’t doing anything, Casy is still in therapy, there wasn’t anything stopping him from terrorizing some other little girl.” Shane’s hands shook as he spoke. 

Ryan slowly nodded, calming slightly but still apprehensive.

“I’m not gonna hurt you, man.” Shane scratched the back of his head. Ryan still hadn’t said anything and it was starting to scare Shane. Not about if Ryan would turn him in but what the information would do to their friendship. 

“Ryan…”

The one near whimper utterance of his name was the only time Ryan heard the fear in Shane’s voice and it shook him back to reality. This 6’4 Sasquatch could yell for hours for demons to hurt or maim him, yet the thought of losing his best friend was what terrified him. 

“It’s okay, Big Guy.” Ryan offered a small smile. “I’m...I’m not scared of you and I’m not going to turn you in. Who else would I eat copious amounts of popcorn with?” 

Shane deflated instantly, his eyes welling up with relief. Ryan hugged Shane, the top his head resting near Shane’s collarbone. The taller man emitted a wet, heavy giggle at their height difference, hugging Ryan back.

“You thought I was gonna leave?”

“Matt did.”

“Yeah? Well, Matt’s a dick.”


End file.
